Because I Love You
by The Not Normal One
Summary: ESTABLISHED OLICITY! 'Heir to the Demon' timeline and for more info please click on the link and read :P I suck at summaries which you might have already understood by now. So just read the story to know what it is !
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: _So I am back with a new Fic. Arrow everyone! Yay me :D This story starts with the timeline of 'Heir to the Demon' and it is established Olicity. So not exactly the same as what they are showing in the show._**

**_Oh! and O.M.G. the last two episodes of Arrow ... its a miracle i am still alive and haven't died of heart attack. Seeing Red almost killed me when Slade put his sword through Moira's heart! As much as i hated her when she threatened Felicity after the parentage debacle, I love how Susanna Thompson portrayed the character of Moira Queen. I am surely going to miss her. And I most definitely cannot wait for City of Blood._**

**Disclaimer: _I own the laptop that i used to post this chapter. The show and the characters belong to the CW and DC. If it were up to me, Felicity and Oliver would have been together by now and he most definitely wouldn't be in a relationship with Sara. its pure torture to see them together being all lovey dovey, trust me !_**

**____****Anyway, enough of my rant, I will let you read the story now !**

It wasn't one of their good days. Hell, it wasn't even a good week, but somehow they were managing to get through it.

It all started with Sara coming back to Starling to take care of Laurel, which wasn't for long, since she couldn't really be there for her physically, what with people thinking she being dead, except for Team Arrow and Detective Lance of course, who also happens to be her father.

Sara wanted to leave as soon as possible but Oliver was adamant about her staying here in Starling. He said her family needed her here and so did he. His words were … it hurt. Knowing the person you love needs someone else is not a nice feeling, especially when that person is also the boyfriend, atleast that's what they have been for a few months now, after he came back from the island the second time.

Felicity wasn't even sure how it happened or when it started for them, but suddenly one night he was at her place, the very night The Count had taken her and Oliver had killed again, breaking his promise to Tommy.

At first she was confused, after all it was just a week or so back when he had fed her that bullshit about not being with someone he cared for after their return from Russia. But that night when he came to her house, saying he had to make sure she was okay after everything, she threw away the doubts she had outside her door as he entered.

They had slowly but surely entered a pattern of regularity where he started spending his nights at her place more often. After a month, she almost had a drawer filled with his clothes in her closet, a brush in her bathroom and small small stuff lying here and there.

When she had realized that they were practically living together, it took her two days to bring it up with him. They had taken a break from Arrow business for the night and Felicity and Oliver were at her place, eating pizza with a bottle of wine he had bought as they watched TV.

The domesticity of the situation was what finally led Felicity to ask him what she had been thinking for a few days now: What exactly were they doing?

He had smiled at her when she asked the question and had taken her hands in his. She wasn't uncomfortable with that since he had been very touchy since the Vertigo debacle and she was more than used to it.

Infact she loved how his rough and calloused hands would hold her soft ones in his. She could feel how strong they were and after being in love with him for almost more than 6 months now, or may be even more, she loved when he would touch her or say her name in a way only he could.

"Felicity ..." he had said her name like it was the answer to all the questions in the world and took a deep breath before trying again.

"I know this is not the right place or even the proper situation but since you have asked, I won't lie to you. I've never done that and I wont do it now." He had said and when she had rolled her eyes he had laughed and added "Well, obviously we have to omit those times when I was bringing you those laptops and syringes."

They both laughed as he said that but he had become serious again. He had looked into her eyes like he could see through her and wanted her to see him, completely bare in front of her.

"I love you, Felicity Smoak. I've been in love with you for months now but like a coward I never told you anything. I thought if I didn't admit it, the feelings would go away. That I wont have to put you in any more danger than what you already are. But that night" he took a deep breath and Felicity knew exactly which night he was referring to.

"That night when he had you and I saw you in the office, afraid but brave at the same time. When you told me not to shoot for you because you wanted me not to dishonor my memory just for you.

"When you were willing to sacrifice your life just so I didn't have a guilty conscious broke my resolve. That night when I came it wasn't just to make sure you were safe, I came because I couldn't be away from you after what happened. I had to see you, to make sure you were safe, that I hadn't lost you.

"I know this might come as a shock to you because of what I said after we got back from Russia, but I cant stay away anymore Felicity. I physically need you to be with me at all times. I cant breathe right when I cant see you, though I have done a pretty good job at hiding all this." He had chuckled to himself and then looked back at her.

Felicity, all this had her mouth agape like a fish. She hadn't even thought of this and she was sure she had come up with every possible scenario that might come up when she asked him that question.

She hadn't expected Oliver to profess his undying love for her but she was surely not complaining. After all she had been dreaming for this day for so long now she cant even remember, but she had never thought that this could actually happen, especially after Russia.

When Oliver had seen her like this he had laughed and squeezed her hand softly which had somehow bought her back to reality. And she definitely didn't realize it when she had thrown herself at him and kissed the shit out of him. He wasn't complaining either.

After that night the routine had continued and the only thing that had changed between them was that now they were not only partners, they were also lovers. And he, in his true self, had exactly shown her what it was to be loved by Oliver Queen that night and every other night from then on in _their _house,

She had been so happy after that, so confident about herself, about their relationship that she hadn't given any thought to what might happen when she had to face people from Oliver's past, especially people who knew him from his island days. And Sara knew all facets of Oliver; the Ollie before the island, the Oliver from the island and the Oliver he was now, who was back in Starling City fighting crime.

So when Dig looked at her as Oliver said those words to Sara, that he needed her to stay back in Starling, Felicity just shook her head and looked away. No need to draw attention.

And the way Sara looked at him, it wasn't ... well, it wasn't platonic. She would know, she was there once. And moreover, Sara didn't know about Felicity and Oliver. Felicity tried very hard to not let the insecurities seep in but she was failing miserably.

What Felicity knew is Oliver shouldn't have done the one thing he did. He made Sara a part of the Team without even discussing it with the rest of them, especially since they have had a similar situation in the not so distant past about Roy. Just like he got Roy involved in Team Arrow without discussing it with the team first, he did the same with Sara.

Felicity didn't mind Sara much, she was nice, had got some kick-ass moves even and you really want her on your side when things get ugly. But she was different from them, being a member of the Assassin League and all that. For her killing wasn't that big a deal and she had no qualms about it. But Felicity doesn't hold it against her.

Sara is her own person, her demons made her who she was today. Just like Oliver, Dig and Roy. And may be Felicity herself. Felicity may not be someone who kills or shoots arrows through people, she still had her demons.

Anyways, once the Sara situation was out on hold, Felicity had to go and figure out Moira's secret. That is one mystery she wished she hadn't tried to solve though. Coz when she did found out about Thea being Malcom Merlin's daughter, Felicity was devastated, coz she had no idea how to tell Oliver about it. Coz lets face it, she couldn't not tell him about a thing as such.

So Felicity tried to get Moira to tell him the truth, so that she had a chance with making things less messier than what it would be if someone else (pointing at herself) would have to tell Oliver the truth.

But then Moira had to mess it up and threaten her to not tell the truth to Oliver. And though Felicity knew it was just an empty threat, the possibility that she could loose Oliver over this ate her up the whole night. She couldn't sleep for most of it and when she did eventually fell asleep, she dreamt of how Oliver walked out on her once she told him about Thea.

Thank god Oliver wasn't in the apartment tonight. He had to take care of arrangements regarding Moira's campaign launch tomorrow. He said he would be back late but she was glad that he got caught up on work coz there was no way she could keep it from him if he were here.

She was falling asleep again when her phone rang. She looked at her screen to see it was Dig calling and that sure sped her heart-beat up. Given it was more that 2 in the night.

"Is everything okay? Where is Oliver? Did something happen to him?" Felicity asked as soon as she picked up the call.

"Not exactly. Nyssa, who is by the way Rash-al-Ghul's daughter, took Dinah. We are in the foundry and may be you should come over." He said.

"Who is Dinah?" she asked, now confused. No idea of who that person was and Dig chuckled.

"Its their mother, Laurel and Sara's I mean. Nyssa kidnapped her an hour or so back. Oliver and Sara were there in the hospital and they tried following her but she got away." He said.

"Shit! I'll be there in half an hour. I couldn't sleep as it is." she said, already pulling the covers off and moving towards the bathroom.

"Why couldn't you sleep?" he asked and she bit her lip. Brain to mouth filter: not working. Again!

"Its nothing! I was just reading a book, I haven't been able to finish it" she said, hoping he would buy it. Thankfully, he did.

"Okay! We'll see you then." He said before they both hung up the call.

Felicity started to get ready and within 5 minutes she was getting her keys from the bowl and heading out.

**A/N: _So this is how it starts ... It will be a 5-6 chapter long story and later i might add a sequel to it with the ongoing plot of the show but again with established Olicity._**

**_Leave me some love (in the form of words :P) coz they mean the world to me._**

**_Till next time :)_**

**_~ Swag_**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: _Now everybody, don't get too excited that the next chapter is up so quickly coz this is a one time thing only. I had already written it and since i got so many nice people following and favoring it after just one day, I thought i will give you something back as a Thank You! So here you go, the second chapter of BILY. _**

_**Its mostly all Felicty, this chapter. Her emotions and feelings about everything but its just a fluff chapter. So dont be too dissapointed if you dont find much substance here. The next chapter will give you that but for that you have to wait for a few more days until i finish it and give it a good read before posting.**_

_**NOW, I'll let you get to the story :)**_

When Felicity reached the foundry, 5 minutes earlier than expected, she could hear voices of all three of them; Oliver, Dig and Sara. As soon as she entered the basement, all three of them turned to look at her.

"I will see what I can find out, as soon as I can" she said, already pulling the chair out to sit in front of her system.

After 10 or so minutes she got something to look at.

"I got the CCTV footage" she said and all three gathered around the computers to look at it.

"Thank god you two were wearing masks. Anyways, the videos are tampered with so not much help there but I did get the numbers from the car plate. It's the same as the one as the one used to break into that zoo two days back."

"Can you find out where the car is now? May be they are still using it." Sara asked and Felicity started looking.

"Nope. They aren't. I mean I did find out where it is, but its not with them. They have already signed it back and probably have gotten some other car."

"We don't have much time Ollie, she only gave me 24 hours and time is running out of our hands." Sara said. Felicity could understand how she must be feeling. Losing someone you love is never easy, it breaks you. She had first hand experience after all.

"Hey don't worry. We will get her. I promise." He said and hugged Sara to him.

Oliver was only trying to comfort Sara, Felicity thought, but it wasn't easy to look at. She could feel Dig's eyes on her but she didn't dare turn around, apprehensive of making any noise. She just went on with her work and trying to find out what she could, which wasn't much.

Hours went by and before they knew, it was morning. She had no idea when she fell asleep listening to the other three as they trained the whole night. It was the ringing of her phone that woke her up and it was past 6.

"Hello!" Felicity grumbled into the phone, sleepily.

"Don't tell me you are still sleeping Liz. Wake up, we have mom's campaign to get to" it was Thea and it immediately woke her up.

"Ya! Ok! Shit! I will be there by 7, promise." she said on the phone. She could practically hear Thea rolling her eyes.

"Okay! And get Ollie too. He is with you, right?" Thea asked and Felicity looked around for him. Her eyes stopped at the couch.

"Yeah! He is here" she said. Oliver was sleeping on the couch and Sara was curled around him. His one arm was around her and they looked … comfortable.

Suddenly it hit her that since Sara's return, Oliver hadn't touched her like he usually does, even once, let alone kiss her. And looking at them like this only fed to her insecurities.

Felicity had to wake him up, he had to be there for the campaign launch. But she just couldn't make herself walk up to them and shake him awake. So she did the next best thing that she could. Dig was sleeping on the mat and she shook him lightly.

"Dig! Dig!" Felicity shook his body some more before he opened his eyes.

"What happened?" he asked as he sat up and she hesitated a bit before she could say anything.

"umm … wake Oliver up. Thea called, we have to be in office by 7 for the campaign launch. He has a spare suit in the club office, right?" she asked and he nodded.

"Good. I will go take a shower before I change. You just wake him up and ask him to get ready." Felicity said and started walking to where she had a spare suit in her gym bag.

"Fuck!" Dig cursed and she turned to look at him and saw him looking at the two of them asleep on couch.

"Felicity…" he tried to say something but Felicity just shook her head, cutting him off.

"Its fine, I'm fine" she said and hurried inside the bathroom before Dig could say more.

Although she said she was fine, Felicity was anything but that. She wasn't one of those girls who were insecure about themselves and their relationships, but the last two days have been tough with Sara, Moira and everything else and it was all taking its toll on her.

She looked into the mirror and there were bags under her eyes from the lack of sleep. A tear was trying to escape but she quickly wiped it away. Taking a quick shower and changing into her suit for office, she came out.

Suddenly she remembered that she didn't have any make up with her. Today of all days she had to go out like this, with bags and dark circles around her eyes, she thought.

Felicity opened the bathroom door to see Oliver was there, ready to take his shower. As he saw her, he smiled, his eyes crinkling at the sides but it soon turned into a frown and he brought one of his hands to trace under her eyes.

"Is everything okay?" he asked and she forced a smile for him.

"Ya, everything is ok. Its just stress and some lack of sleep. It will be fine. I have some powder." she said, trying to get past him.

"Why aren't you sleeping?" he asked again and Felicity chuckled.

"Its nothing, with Nyssa and Mrs. Lance and everything else, I am just a bit stressed. You were also not there and I don't sleep well without …" shit! Damn brain to mouth filter. "I mean, we were here in the foundry, working, that's why. You go take your shower, I will fix this" she said pointing towards her face and before he could say anything else, she rushed past him.

"Feli…" he started to say something but she shook her head. Before Felicity could say anything, Sara did.

"Shouldn't you be getting ready Ollie? You have to go to the campaign launch, right?" she asked and Felicity didn't turn back to look at them.

She heard the bathroom door close while pulling her lipstick and concealar out of her bag. Sara was calling her father to get an update on Laurel and Dig was upstairs getting ready himself.

He came back just as Felicity got finished with hiding the dark circles around her eyes.

"Where is he?" he asked but again it was Sara who answered.

"Ollie is taking shower, he should be out soon." She said and Felicity gave a nod.

"You okay?" he whispered as he came closer to her. Felicity couldn't help but smile at his concern, he was like the big brother she never had.

"I am fine Dig, its all okay. Its just a lot to take in sometimes, that's all. And its not exactly one of our best weeks." she said and he nodded though not fully convinced.

_Of course_, she thought.

Oliver came out of the shower in record time and at 6:40 they were leaving for the office. Though the launch wasn't until 10 AM, she had work to do and though Oliver could have stayed back, he had to check on things.

Once they were in the car Felicity took her tablet out to check what was on Oliver's schedule and made some adjustments accordingly.

When Oliver put his arm around her shoulders, she didn't see that coming. Felicity was so engrossed working on she tablet, she flinched for a moment before settling back down.

"Sorry! I didn't notice" she said, trying to avoid looking at him. She was sure he would see how uncomfortable she was with him touching me. That would be a first for her.

"Is something going on? Are you okay? You have been acting a bit strange for the last couple of days." He said, concern lacing his voice.

"I told you, I am fine. Its nothing." Felicity squirmed a bit to adjust herself. He brought his arm back and she sighed in relief and then caught herself. But somehow she was sure, Oliver had seen it and sure enough, when she looked at him, she could see the hurt. Felicity wanted to tell him that it was nothing, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything to him right then.

As soon as the car stopped in front of QC, he got out of the car and stalked towards the entrance. She sat inside the car for a couple more moments to collect herself before coming out.

There was press outside the office today since the launch was here at QC. Felicity walked past them quickly and got in the elevator with Dig and Oliver.

"You have a meeting with Isabel first thing in the morning before the campaign launch. She will be by your office at 8. Then you are free till the launch party gets over. Your lunch hour is free so till then you can stay here or go back to the foundry." she stopped herself to add 'to Sara' just in time.

"After that you have a meeting with the board members at 2 and at 5 Sebastian made an appointment to meet with you. The Finance department will come by around sometime with some files that you have to look into, although I have already checked it and there is not much for you to do. I have marked some things and you can change accordingly if you would like. There is a spare copy in my office which I will give you when we get there, which is now."

The elevator dinged and opened and they all stepped out into the executive floor. She walked past them and went to get the file for him, along with some other things he would need to check.

"Do you guys want coffee?" Felicity asked. Oliver shook his head no, but she knew he would need something. Dig said yes so she ordered the two of them their usual from the Starbucks opposite to the office.

After a month since he had madder his EA, she had made it regular to get coffee orders frm the nearest Starbucks for all of them. She still wasn't _making _any coffee herself for that matter.

Once that was done, she took Oliver's mug and filled it with boiled water. Then Felicity sat back on her desk and pulled a drawer out to get the container of herbal tea. Making his tea, she got all the files he would need today along with a print out of his schedule and walked in through the glass door.

She placed the files in front of him with the schedule in the top and then his tea on his right.

"I don't think you would need anything else today but if you do, let me know. And drink the tea, stress is not good for you." she said and turned back to go to her office.

"Thanks" It was soft but she heard it anyways. Felicity smiled, at least some things were still the same.

Felicity was working on some files when she heard the clicking of heels and knew it was none other than Isabel. She didn't bother saying anything to her and walked right into Oliver's cabin. Not that she cared, but the woman should have some decency, come on!

Felicity rolled her eyes as she went in the room. Dig was down to get their coffee and she was fielding calls about the launch. Felicity could see whatever Isabel was telling Oliver, he didn't like it. His eyebrows were creased together and there was a frown in his features.

Felicity was thinking of going in there with some excuse to get him out of there but just then her cell phone rang. It was Roy.

"Yes Roy?" she asked into the phone.

"I was at Verdant and then I could hear sounds from the basement so I went down to see some half naked girl moving around. Who is she Liz?" he whispered and she rolled her eyes. They should have remembered to let him know.

"She's a friend. That woman in black leather, that's her." she whispered back and he sighed, probably relieved that she wasn't an intruder.

"Ok! So should I go in there and talk to her or just come out?" he asked and she thought for a moment before telling him to not go meet her. Sara would appreciate some time alone, and since she didn't know Roy, it was better he left. So Felicity asked him to come to the office, before hanging up. Thea could use some support and so could she.

"Where are you Liz?" Felicity heard Thea's voice from the corridor and rolled her eyes at her antiques. In a moment she was walking in with two coffee cups in her hand with Dig in tow.

"There you are, I was looking for you. Here is your coffee that you needed and now I need you, so you are coming with me" she declared.

Before Felicity could take a sip, Isabel came out of Oliver's office with him just behind her.

"Oh! Hello Thea, How are you?" she asked and Thea rolled her eyes.

"Wouldn't you like to know" she murmured, but since she was right next to her, Felicity obviously heard her and tried to smother her laughter with a cough.

"What's your problem?" Isabel asked with a disdain and Felicity took a sip before she answered her.

"Nothing. Nothing at all." She said to her and then turned to Oliver. "Would you be needing anything now Mr. Queen? I have to go help Thea with something."

"Why are you ..." Oliver was going to ask something but of course Isabel had to intervene.

"Shouldn't you be calling her Ms. Queen and not Thea?" she asked with her bitch brow raised.

"Actually I asked her not to call me that. She is Oliver's EA, not mine. I don't even work here. Moreover, Liz and me, we are friends so she can call me whatever she likes and you don't have to point out what she should and shouldn't do." Thea said and Isabel's smirk fell.

Felicity loved how Thea stood up for her, though it wasn't really necessary. But they had become close, and especially after she got to know about Felicity and Oliver, she was all for it. A handful of people knew about them which included Thea, Roy, Dig, Moira and her friend Sasha. And may be Lance but she wasn't sure about it.

"Whatever, I am gonna go. I will see you later Oliver" Isabel said before walking out of the room.

"Spare me oh God! How can you even bear to be in the same room as her highness Ms Ice Queen?" Thea asked making the two of them laugh.

"Enough of it. Lets go, I thought you had work to do." Felicity said shutting her computer off and grabbing her purse.

"Okay okay! Lets go" Thea said standing up. Felicity was already through the door when Thea spoke again.

"What? No kiss, no hug? I might not give her back to you anytime soon Ollie" she said and Felicity turned back to look at the Queen siblings.

Oliver looked uncomfortable and Felicity sure was mirroring his feelings. A kiss or a hug from Oliver, she wasn't looking forward to it. And moreover she was sure he wasn't planning on doing anything, anyway. So she thought of saving them both.

"Come on Thea, lets go or else I will just get back to work and then you can grovel all you want, I wont be coming with you. By the way, Roy will be here anytime now, I called him. So unless you want to be here rather than with him, we should go." she said and Thea was by her side in a flash.

"Okay okay Liz, whatever you want. Lets go. See you guys later." Thea said as they got in the elevator.

And before Oliver could say anything to either of them, they were both gone.

**A/N: _Thank you again, for the follows, favorites and reviews. Like I might have mentioned already, they mean the world to me._**

**_Let me know how you like this chapter and leave me some love. They make my day :)_**

**_Till then..._**

**_~ Swag_**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: _Yes yes! I know! I said it was a one-time thing and here I go updating so soon again. But I am a whore of all the words, follows and favorites you leave me behind and I cant not appreciate it._**

**_So there you go, the next chapter peeps. Some Rolicity, some Olicity, the parentage debacle and a lot of pure Felicity :) Hopefully you are gonna like this chapter as well._**

**_The story is written till the 5th chapter so thats why it is so easy for me to keep updating but I am taking some time with the 6th chapter which is probably going to be the last one. Some of you reviewers were quite steady on the path where this story is going. I actually thought of asking if any of you took a peek inside my lappy ;)_**

**_Anyway ... Let me keep my rant till here. I will now let you go to the story :D_**

Oliver was busy with some of the paperwork Felicity had left at his desk when Dig walked in.

It was time for the launch party before he knew it. Dig came to his office and said they were about to start with the function.

They both came down to QC lobby where the launch would be happening. He saw Thea standing with his mother but he couldn't find Felicity anywhere.

Walking towards his family he hugged both of them and kissed their cheeks.

"Where is Felicity? I thought she would be with you." Oliver said to Thea.

"Oh Oliver, let her be for sometime. I am sure you wont need your _assistant _now" Moira said, which confused him a bit. Why would Moira call her his assistant when she knew about their relationship? Thea glanced at her mother with furrowed brows but didn't comment on that, instead turned to look at her brother.

"She was. I think she's around the corner with Roy. I told her to come up to the podium but she said she didn't feel comfortable standing up there and Roy got his chance and said he will stay with her."

"Oh! Okay! All the best then, Mom, I will go stand with the crowd." He said and walked down the podium. Taking his phone out, he called her.

"Oliver?" she said into the phone, her voice slightly shaky.

"Hey! Where are you? I thought you'll be with Thea." He said into the phone.

"I … I was, with Thea. I am with Roy. I mean, I am standing with Roy now and I .. we, we can see you. So we'll be there in a minute." She said and then she hung up. At least he thought she did but then he could hear voices, precisely her and Roy's.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Liz?" Roy asked and he heard her sigh.

"I am sure Roy, I just don't know what or how to say it to him or how he will react once he knows. I hate that I will have to hurt him like this, that we two will be the one doing this to the two of them. Oh God! Thea! What about her? She is like a sister to me. How can I do this Roy? He will never forgive me." Oliver could hear her soft gasps and with every word she spoke his heart felt like pain was shooting through every nerve of his body.

He looked around for the two of them but to no avail. Finally he saw them, Roy was hugging her and she was crying, he could hear them since the call was still on.

"Keep it together Liz. We are going to do this, and we are going to do this now. Come on Liz." Roy said, trying to comfort her.

Before he could think what he was doing, Oliver's feet took him to where the two of them were standing. Felicity gasped as soon as she saw him and Roy stilled next to her.

"What is going on here?" Oliver asked, harsher than he intended it to sound. "Why are you crying? What's wrong?" he asked again, this time a bit calmer.

"I … " Felicity tried but no words came out of her mouth. She looked at Roy but the poor boy looked as lost as her.

"Felicity, tell me what's going on? Why are you crying?" Oliver asked.

"Its nothing" she started to say but he cut her off before she could continue.

"Don't say nothing" he said instead. Suddenly she was nervous. No idea of how she was to break the news of Thea's parentage to him.

"You might have noticed that I talk a lot" she said and Oliver couldn't help when his lips twitched at her words a bit. But soon it was gone as he remembered what he had heard over the phone.

"It has not escaped my attention" he said, trying to ease the discomforting situation they were in.

"You might also have noticed that I don't talk a lot about my family"

"I have noticed that" he said, bit more serious now. He had no idea where this conversation was going. Its not like they had never talked about her family but bringing it up right now was ringing all sorts of bells in his head.

"I have never really told you lot about my family coz there was not much for me to say. I told you my dad was dead, but that's, that's not true. Its just, that's what I say to everyone. He left us when I was little and my mum was never the same after that. She wasn't my mother after that day. So I know how much it hurts to lose a family or when they hurt you."

"Felicity, I am not following you. What are you trying to tell me? Has something happened to your mother? Is your father back?" he said, now desperately trying to understand what was wrong.

"No. Its not about my family. Its … it's about yours" she said and all the breath left him in a whoosh.

As Oliver heard the words that poured out of Felicity's lips, he felt his whole life was a lie. How could his own mother do this to him and Thea? Looking at Felicity, he had never felt more broken. During the course of time, she was holding his hand in hers and he was squeezing it so tightly he was afraid it would leave a bruise but he couldn't make himself to let go of her.

He heard Walter announce his name and he turned to look at them, his family, up in the podium.

"You have to go up there Oliver. You have to, but I will be right next to you the whole time" she promised as she led him up the stairs to the podium. Her hand never leaving his.

Although the employees in QC speculated about their relationship, they had always kept it under wraps that they were together. It was her idea mostly. But today she couldn't bring it in herself to care. He needed her and she would be damned is she left him on his own after what happened.

Oliver gave his speech. He was much more in control than Felicity expected. Anytime she felt like he was breaking or was not okay, she would lightly squeeze his hands. He would look at her and she would give him an encouraging smile in return.

The media couldn't see their linked hands since it was hidden by the dais but no one could miss the looks that passed between them. But it didn't matter then, she thought to herself again. He needed her.

The speech ended and Oliver turned to look at his Felicity once before turning to his mother and went to hug her in front of the audience.

"I know" he said quietly but she heard it. Moira's face lost the composure for just one moment as she looked at Felicity, before her mask was back on. Felicity herself had obviously heard what Oliver had said; after all she was right next to them. He hadn't let go of her hands except for when he was hugging his mother.

Next he went to Thea and hugged her, Felicity did the same after him and they stood on either side of the younger Queen, as if they were protecting her. Roy came up from the sides then and put his hand on her shoulder and Thea smiled looking at him.

Oliver knew then, as much as he didn't like that his little sister was growing up, and had a boyfriend, she could have done so much worse than Roy. He liked who he was, and though he was dangerous because of the whole _mirakuru _thing, Roy was a good man.

"I am going in the crowd" Felicity said to Oliver once Roy took over. "I can cancel your appointments for today if you want, you can go home."

"No! I am fine and …" he turned to see Thea "let me just tell her that we have to leave and I'll come with you"

"You don't need to. I will just go back up to the office. You should be here, with your family" she said again but Oliver shook his head.

He told Thea that he had to go back up, making some excuse about something that came up and took a hold of Felicity's hand as they started walking towards the elevator.

Diggle saw the two of them but when he made a move to follow, Felicity shook her head once. He stopped but he was sure he would know what it was soon enough.

The duo got inside the executive elevator and Felicity pushed the button to their floor. They didn't speak as they rode up but their hands never let go of the other. They walked in silence once they reached their floor and to their office.

He let go of her once he went inside his office. He walked up to the glass window and stood there. Felicity's heart was breaking, thinking of the pain that he was going through. So she took a glass of water, filled it and walked up to him.

"Here, drink some" she said as she placed her hand on his shoulder. He didn't turn at her, but when he did, the raw pain that she in his eyes made her gasp.

Oliver hauled her to him and hugged her in a vice grip. It was to the point where it was almost hurting but she didn't make a single noise. He needed this, she told herself.

The glass had fallen from her hands but thankfully didn't break because of the carpet, the water was spilled all over it. But that was not a concern right now. The main concern was the man who was in her arms, holding on to her as if she was his anchor to this world.

She had no idea what she was to say or do in a situation like this. She had never been on a situation like this after all. But then she thought of how when after some especially crucial and hard night they would both climb on to bed together and he would fall on her arms. She would comb her fingers through his hair and just talk. Nothing in particular but just anything, and before they knew it, he would be fast asleep.

So that's what she did. It was a bit difficult since they both were standing, but she somewhat managed. Her fingers were combing through his hair, and she kept talking.

She told him some story about when she was a child. It was a happy story, she accounted that. Her father was still with them when it happened. It was Halloween and her father had taken her out to get candies. They had gone from door to door and at the end when she came back home, her bag was full of chocolates.

Her mother had told her to give some of it to her cousins who were visiting but she and her father had adamantly refused to share any of it. It was theirs, their treat and they would never share it. They had eaten all of it by themselves for days till all the candies were finally finished. Just her and her _Papa_.

When Oliver released her this time, she knew he was in a better place then what he was when they had came in through those doors. She held his face in both her hands and looked at him.

"I am here. I'll always be until you tell me not to. And till then, whatever it may be, whenever you need me, I will stand right next to you, hold your hand and remind you that whatever happens, we will get through it, together. You are not alone Oliver, I am here." she said and Oliver looked her in the eye, taking a deep breath before saying what suddenly felt foreign in her tongue "I love you, Oliver and I will always be there" she said before he pulled her in his arms again.

They just stood there for one more minute, not talking, just holding on to each other. No words could ever be enough for what that silence bought them. It was their solace in the life they led, full of danger and violence and horror and lies. He didn't say anything back but she knew in her heart that he loved her, whatever the situation might they now be in.

"Anyways, you have off till 2, when the board will be here for your next meeting. So you can just go through that file I had given you last week to check. Its still in your table and I know you haven't checked it. So please do that and I will go field you calls and make appointments and do nothing basically, which is a lie" she said rolling her eyes and he cracked a small smile, just what she wanted, but kept going "so just holler, if you know, you need anything, except coffee, coz you know you are not getting that, not from me, in the office that is. So I am just gonna shut up now and go to my chair and sit down. Ok?"

Oliver smiled his _Felicity_ smile since the morning, the smile that was just for her. He nodded and kissed her on the forehead before she left to go do her work and he went and sat behind his table to do his.

It was around lunch that Felicity got a break from searching for Dinah. Thea had called to ask if Felicity and Oliver would join her and Roy for lunch, but Felicity declined. She was sure that right now having a lunch with Thea was not something Oliver could handle. So she took it upon herself to order them take out from a Chinese restaurant that they both liked.

Felicity just came out of his cabin after telling Oliver about it when Sara called in the office phone since Oliver had turned his phone off since they got back.

"Hey Felicity, did you find anything?" Sara asked and Felicity felt really bad that she hadn't gotten any solid evidence that gave her any location. She had gone through all the CCTV footage and the facial recognition application was running in the system but the result was still zero.

"I am sorry Sara, I've been going through everything there is but there is no trace of your mother or Nyssa. Its like they have vanished. My searches are still running, if there is anything I can find, I'll let you know." Felicity said. She was sincerely sorry for what happened with Sara's mother and that she couldn't help much to find her.

"Its fine. I m sure we'll find a way. Is Ollie busy? I mean, his phone is off so … if he is not busy, can I talk to him?" she asked.

"Yea! I mean, no he is not busy, just hold on, I'll transfer the call" Felicity said before pressing the button that would transfer Sara's call directly to Oliver.

He looked up when his phone rang to Felicity. And when she mouthed 'Sara' he immediately picked it up.

"Sara? Is everything ok? Did you find anything?" Felicity heard him through the glass panes. She had cut her line but she could hear everything still because Oliver was so loud.

Whatever Sara said wasn't good of what Felicity could see. Oliver was up and out of his office as soon as he cut the phone.

"I've to go. I shouldn't have left Sara all alone when she is so upset." Oliver said as he came out, looking at Felicity.

"Oh! Is she okay?" Felicity asked concerned. The girl sincerely liked Sara and could relate to her somewhat on what she might be feeling right now.

"Ya, she is. I just think I should check on her, keep an eye until we can find Mrs. Lance" he said, buttoning his suit jacket.

"Okay! Um … yeah! I will keep going through the searches. Call if you need anything." She said and Oliver gave her a short nod.

Felicity didn't know why, probably she was used to it, that's why. But when Oliver left office this time, he did not hold her hand in his and squeezed them like he usually does. Or kiss her or anything actually. He just left. He was already gone and walking towards the elevator when she called him to say that she will send Dig with their lunch, his and Sara's.

He turned back and gave her a small smile with a nod of his head when he heard her, before getting inside the elevator. Felicity didn't know if it was just her insecurities or something else but she couldn't let go of that feeling that things had changed.

**A/N: _So how many of you want to slap the shit out of Oliver and hug Felicity ? ;) I know, I know, Oliver is a total jerk right now. But give the guy some time, he will get back on track. Felicity is a strong woman and she wont be deterred so easily._**

**_Leave me your love, those reviews made my day, truly :) And the follows and favorites make me soooo happy._**

**_Keep 'em coming. Till then ... :)_**

**_~ Swag_**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: H_ere you go, next chapter everybody. I feel so proud of myself for uploading it the after a gap of two days :P Yay me ... I am too proud. (cue my evil laugh ;)) Anyways ... This is the 4th and there are only two more chapters left. After that I'll start a new one of the NOW timeline. But it will be after sometime. BDW ... I wanted to thank all of you who reviewed, Favorited and followed. Thank you so much for the love :)_**

**_About this chapter, Oliver finally grows a head, I think, or may be not, you'll have to read to find out ;)_**

**_So go ahead, have at it :D_**

Felicity called Dig up, once the food was delivered and paid for.

"Did you have lunch?" she asked when Dig came in through the door?

"Nope. I will get something on our way back to the foundry." He said and looked around but didn't find their boss/friend/partner.

Felicity saw Dig looking and answered before he could even ask the question.

"He's at the foundry. Sara needed to … umm … so anyway. The thing is I ordered lunch for all of us. But I can't really leave the office right now, I have some work. So you get to be the delivery boy." She said, winking at Dig which only made him sigh.

"Oliver said that he wanted to train anyways. So take it" she said holding the brown paper bag "and go eat with the two. I will join the two of you when I am done here."

Dig didn't know if he were to laugh at how hollow she sounded or wrap her in his arms and protect her from everything, including herself and of course, Oliver.

But he did neither, just took the bag from her hands and with a small shake of his head, left her in the office to go to the foundry.

Felicity sat in her chair and started running another search. Hopefully she would find something this time.

Back in the foundry, Sara was pacing a hole in the ground. Oliver sat on the couch that Felicity had insisted they had to have and looked at the girl in front of him. They had not told anyone about what happened last night when Sara and Nyssa met on that abandoned road, not even talked about it themselves.

"Sara, stop pacing. We will get your mother. Just sit and take a breath, Felicity will find out what she can soon and we will get Dinah back." He said looking at her.

"Are you sure about that Oliver?" at his confused expression she continued. "About Felicity, that she _will _find my mom? I mean, I know she is good, but its been more than half a day, how can she not find anything yet?"

"She has been trying this whole time to find your mother, atleast try to be a bit appreciative" came Dig's voice from the stairs as he walked down.

"I am sorry, I am not trying to be a bitch here, I am just …" she trailed off and Oliver stood up and walked to her.

"Hey! We understand. Dig is just a bit protective of her. And like I said, we will find your mother" Oliver said and Dig shook his head.

"I am just sorry that you're not" he murmured lowly and then added so that both of them could hear. "Anyway, she sent lunch for you, us. We should eat, we will need the strength." He said handing Oliver the paper bag.

None of them said anything and sat to eat. Oliver opened the paper bag and took out the three containers and handed the two of them their food before starting with his own.

They were halfway through their lunch when Diggle noticed it first and cursed. He should have asked her before leaving. Oliver noticed and asked what happened.

"Did you and Felicity have lunch plans?" he asked straight to the point.

"What do you mean?" Oliver asked confused.

"Did you and Felicity plan on having lunch before you came here?" he asked again.

"Ya! She ordered the food and let me know that she did it. For the three of us." He said and Dig sighed.

"So what is she having for lunch then?" he asked and again Oliver looked at him like he didn't understand. "I am asking coz her food is here" he said pointing to the container in Sara's hand.

"Shit!" Oliver cursed, realizing what Dig was indicating.

"Whats the big deal? She will have something from the QC cafeteria." Sara said. Her phone rang just then and it was her father so she walked to the back of the foundry so that the boys couldn't be heard over the phone.

"Yeah sure! She will have something once she is free of her duties of being his EA by day and tech girl by night. Well, day and night doesn't even matter anymore I guess." Dig said bitterly.

"What is your problem Dig?" Oliver asked back and this time Dig didn't hold back.

"My problem is that the girl hasn't eaten anything in two days, except the cups of coffees she keeps gulping down her throat. My problem is that it should be you who should have noticed all these before I had to point out but you didn't. The problem is that you are not in the office when you know there is a board meeting and Isabel will be there and when she doesn't see you, it will be Felicity who will have to listen to whatever she says.

"My problem Oliver is you. You should have noticed how she retracts every time you try to touch her in anyway, that she is trying to not be in your space unless your _need _it. That I was wrong when I said I was okay about the two of you when I should have known that sooner or later you will destroy the girl she was and only a shell of her will remain for us to look at. I just hadn't realized it would be this soon."

Oliver felt like he had been slapped but before he could say anything, his phone started ringing. He looked to see it was Felicity and slowly picked it up.

"Hey listen! I found where Nyssa and Sara's mom is. They are in the abandoned Styx warehouse by the docks of 34th. You guys should hurry. And don't worry about Isabel, I'll handle her during the meeting and takes notes as well so that you know what is going on. I hate dealing with that woman." She murmured softly, as if to herself, "Anyway, I will stop talking and let you get to your arrowing." She said in a line before he could even get a Hello out and then huffed, taking a deep breath.

"Just … just be safe" Felicity said softly, like she always does before he leaves for a mission.

"Felicity.." he said her name like he does when they have their own conversations without words. For Felicity, her name, the way he said it, was enough for her to understand what he meant. But just this once, it wasn't enough. She couldn't let herself to keep thinking of the changes that were taking places or what it meant for them.

"I … I will walk you through the place but since there are no CCTV cameras I can't exactly do much. I have the blueprint of the warehouse but, you should get the file in a second, I am sending it in your phone. I will be with you people through the comms but I cant do anything about telling you beforehand of what is inside. I pulled up the satellite view but its not much help." she kept talking so that he wont say anything more.

"Tell Sara to wear the comms properly and that I am sorry it took so much time for me to find out her mother's whereabouts. She must be going out of her mind. umm … So I'll connect the comms and umm … take care of yourself and Sara, of course, yeah both of you. Bye!" and before Oliver could say anything, she hung up.

"What did she say?" Dig asked once Oliver was back in his senses and put the phone on the table.

"She found Dinah! She … Sara" he called out loud "Felicity got your mom's location." He said and Sara came out from back. "Dada I've to go, I'll call you if we find anything, okay?" she said and then hung up on the phone.

"We have to go now" he said as he stalked towards the bathroom to change into his suit.

The two of them suited up in their leather suits and left for warehouse and Dig was just a few blocks away as their back up if anything went wrong. Felicity had walked them in through but not being able to see much left way too little for her to work with but she did best to her abilities.

They had found Dinah and Nyssa very easily but. There was a fight, a quite lethal one at that and he could hear Felicity through it all, but at the end Dinah was safe. Nyssa had released Sara from the bounds of League of Assassin and everything was okay.

Felicity had the cut the comms after informing that the police was on its way and that Oliver should leave. Dig informed him that he was going straight home since none of them were badly injured or in need of medical attention. But in truth Oliver knew that Dig just dint want to be in his presence right now after what he had done.

Sara had left with her family and now everyone knew she was alive and Oliver had come back to an empty foundry. Dig had left and Felicity was nowhere in sight since she didn't even come to the foundry that night. He sighed.

Oliver had no idea how he had missed out on everything that Dig had pointed out, but somehow he had. She was his girlfriend, he loved her for god's sake and he didn't even realize when she had started to distance herself. Hell even he had done the same. Probably that's why she pulled away because she thought now with Sara here she wasn't enough.

Especially after what she had told him about her father, her family, he feared that she was building a wall around herself to protect her from him.

But Oliver loved Felicity, he loved Sara too but he wasn't _in love _with her. That was Felicity for him. Only her and he had done a piss poor job at showing her that, especially lately. He had to make it right and soon.

So before he could wallow in self guilt he took the quickest shower known to mankind and left to go home, to his Felicity.

**A/N: _So Oliver is finally going home after two days, and we'll see what happens there on the next chapter._**

**_Leave me your thoughts on how you liked this chapter. Dig did good with all the talking, I love when he goes all brother bear coz of Felicity :D_**

**_So reviews, and follows and favorites and all that, leave me those, I live for those :P_**

**_Till then ..._**

**_~ Swag_**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: _I am kinda sorry? For being kinda late? Its sucks actually, its my exam week ... and it will continue till the end of this month so kind of busy with all of that ! Had three exams back-to-back yesterday so was busy preparing the last two days ! :/_**

**_Now to clear something, it is a Olicity story. Not about Sara and Oliver or even Slade or anyone else ... Just Olicity and bit of Team Arrow. Oliver wont be cheating on Felicity with anyone, ever ! I wont be having that in my story !_**

**_After that I would like to mention how much it means to me that you are liking this story ! 100+ followers :D I love you guys ! The reviews you have left me, the alerts, everything, you have no idea how awesome it feels ! So thank you so much :)_**

_**Now, we are kind of towards the end. Oliver is home and he is going to try talking to Felicity ! So there you have it ... kind of :P**_

_**Without any further ado ... get reading peeps ^_^**_

As Oliver rode through the quiet city night, he wondered how he hadn't noticed what was right in front of him.

He had left Felicity alone in the home that they called their. And in the foundry all his attention and concentration was solely on Sara and in finding Dinah. He hadn't even thought of going home for two days.

_Home, _he thought. He hadn't thought of the mansion as home for so long now. Home was with Felicity, where they did everything together. Cooking food themselves and then eating it. Getting ready for work, and then coming back tired. Sharing a bottle of wine after a hectic day as they watched TV and then going to bed together.

That was home and he realized that he had left her all on her own, in _their_ home, since Sara had come back to town this time.

What if Felicity had done something similar if a long lost person from her past had suddenly showed up in her life and all her attention moved towards him? How would he feel then? The idea was unsettling, to say the least.

He never wanted to know how it would feel and to think that he hadn't even thought of what Felicity had been feeling all this while as he paraded Sara around her, even though there was nothing romantic between them. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

He was standing in front of their door before he knew it. He opened the door quietly and walked in after kicking his shoes off. Through the hallway he could see flickering lights coming from their bedroom. The whole house was dark except for that.

He quietly opened the door to their room and the sight that greeted him broke his heart.

Felicity was sitting in their bed, wearing one of his hoodies. A box of ice cream in her one hand and a tissue paper on another. Every now and then she was wiping away her tears. At first he thought that something was wrong but then he noticed the movie playing on the LCD. It was the new Disney movie that she had been dying to watch. It had just released but she was waiting for the right moment to see it.

He then cursed himself again. The right moment, which was now only meant Felicity was upset over something. The right moment to watch a Disney movie according to Felicity was when she was upset, coz apparently Disney movies and a box of chocolate chip ice-cream was the cure to every heartbreak.

"Felicity" he said her name slowly, to not startle her but she didn't hear.

"Felicity" he said again, this time a bit louder and she yelped out in surprise. The box fell from her hands but fortunately it fell upright and ice-cream was still inside the box rather than outside, on their bed. But the worst part in all this was when she looked him and asked;

"What are you doing here?" it wasn't harsh, or angry or even irritated. Her voice was just … hollow and surprised. As if she was truly surprised to see him here, in their own home.

"I mean … You can obviously be here, afterall you stay here, with me, which is not the point. I mean … this is half your place too, especially since I've seen that the rent is not being cut from my account for atleast 3 months now and I guess I am talking unnecessarily so I am going to stop in 321" she said and then looked down in her hands.

Oliver slowly walked towards their bed and sat down on the edge turning to face her. He felt, more than saw how she flinched when he took her hand in his and it felt like a knife through his heart.

But he didn't comment on any of that and asked her what she was least expecting;

"Why are you watching a Disney movie?" he asked and she looked up at him wide eyed. She knew he knew what the combination of a Disney movie and choco-chip ice-cream meant.

"umm … it was … it was just a tiring day. You know, with Dinah and Sarah, the launch, Thea and then Isabel. The meeting ran for hours and she never left a single opportunity pass by to comment something about me or your absence and I had to listen and then there was so much paper work and the Mr. Blood came to the office coz I was so busy with work I had forgotten to cancel your appointment, I am sorry. And your mom and him, they had a conversation when she came looking for you. And then when Blood left she told me that now that I have told you the truth, you are going to hate me for ruining your family for you and that I am not good enough because I don't know what having a family means. How she knows about my father I have no idea but she probably had a PI check me out or something after we told her we were together. Though I am not sure if we are anymore or not or …" she suddenly stopped when she realized what she had just said.

Oliver looked like he was ready to smash something so she tried to cover up quickly.

"umm … I mean … I guess she was just angry with me, you know, I did ruin her family in a sense but I had to tell you the truth, after all we don't lie to each other. ahh … you know what, you go take a shower, I will go keep these things back in the kitchen" she said pointing at her hands holding the ice-cream box, standing up from the bed.

"I already took a shower" Oliver said instead and she stopped but didn't turn back to look at him. For a moment neither of them spoke but then she broke the silence with her words again;

"Oh! Okay! Go get changed then. If you're hungry, I can reheat something for you or … umm … if you have already eaten than … ya … I am just gonna go keep these in their right places first. You let me know if you need anything." And with that Felicity hurried out of the room.

He sighed as he watched her go and stood up. After a moment of debating, he did as she told him. Changing into a pair of sleep pants he saw that now the living room light was on. Taking a deep breath he walked towards the room. They had to talk.

He saw her moving aimlessly in the kitchen, not really focused on what she was doing. She did it when she was nervous and he didn't know what to start with.

"Felicity…" he called her name again and she looked up to see him standing in the kitchen doorway.

"You are here!" she murmured, as if she was not exactly sure about it or maybe she just thought that he wont come out of the room.

"Do you want me to make you something? To eat? A sandwich or something maybe?" she asked but trying her hardest to not look at him much. He walked towards her and again took her hands in his and again she flinched.

"I … I am sorry" he said and her eyes shot up to look at him. She definitely didn't want to talk right now, about whatever it was that he was planning on.

"Sorry? What? No, you don't have to be sorry. I can handle Isabel, a meeting is nothing, you know that. I will just make you the sandwich and then we can both go to sleep. I am really tired tonight." She said, deflecting him from whatever he was planning to say.

"We both know I wasn't talking about the meeting Felicity, though I should. I shouldn't have left you to work through all of that on your own. I was just … I was so worried about Sara and what she might do that I didn't stop to think what I was doing to you, to _us_." Oliver said softly and she sighed. But Felicity really didn't want to talk about it right now so she pulled her hands out of his.

"I … I really am tired tonight. Lets just go to bed okay? We can … we will talk about it tomorrow. But tonight, lets just sleep." She sighed and then chuckled before adding "Or I might not be able to stand for even a minute when the day starts."

"You haven't been sleeping, have you? And you haven't even eaten. If Dig hadn't noticed I … how I didn't see all of this, I don't know but I am so sorry Felicity" he said sincerely and she gave him a sad smile as he grasped one of his hands in her.

"Not tonight Oliver, please. I promised you, we will talk about it tomorrow but tonight, I just want to sleep" she said and he nodded dejectedly.

Oliver wanted to talk, he didn't want there to be anything between them, but he could see the tiredness in her eyes, the bags surrounding them so he relented.

She needed her rest and he would not come in between that but tomorrow they will talk. The two of them walked back towards their bedroom. Felicity went to her side of the bed as he came to his.

Climbing the bed, the both laid down, facing each other. The distance between them had never been there when they were sleeping. Felicity was itching to move towards him but she willed herself to not move.

Oliver saw as she bit into her lips and cursed himself inwardly one more time for letting the distance get in between them.

He opened one of his arms towards her in invitation and that was all she needed before she swiftly moved towards him and he curled her to himself trying to get as close as they possibly could.

She took a deep breath as if she could breathe again after being under water so long and he sighed in relief that everything was not yet lost. He ran his fingers through her golden locks as she burrowed herself to him more.

"I am sorry I don't tell you this enough, but …" he took a deep breath "I love you" said Oliver and she closed her eyes and willed the tears to not fall. It felt like so long since he had said those words to her.

"I … I love" she started to say when her tablet beeped and Oliver's phone rang all at the same time.

Something gripped inside her heart and it wasn't fear. She knew who was calling him and probably he did too. She took her tablet from her side of the drawer and most definitely, it was the foundry alarm system, Sara had just entered.

"You should take the call" she said slowly, her voice that same hollow tone it had a few minutes before. When he didn't move to do anything and turned to look at him.

Oliver looked torn, not knowing what to do. She gave him a small smile and squeezed his arm where she was laying just a moment ago.

"It might be something important Oliver, take the call. Sara won't just call to wish you good night" she said and he was surprised that she knew it was Sara but then thought better of asking her how and nodded before receiving the call.

"She hates me Ollie! Laurel hates me" Sara said into the phone as soon he picked it up. She was drunk and was so loud that even Felicity could hear her through the phone.

"After all this time, after everything, she still hates me. She told me that I ruined her, her life, her family. I … I don't know what to do Ollie…" Sara cried and Felicity knew what was needed to be done now.

"Go Oliver, she needs you. She is your friend and needs you now. We will talk tomorrow, but as of now, you should go." She said looking at him.

"No! I don't need to go. Sara can handle herself" he said, trying to convince her though a part of him wanted to help his friend. The phone was long forgotten, now kept on his side of the drawer. Felicity smiled at him.

"As strong as she might be, everyone needs a friend at one of time or other. You should go. I will be fine here. I was just going to sleep as it is. You go." Felicity said again.

"But …" he started to say but she cut him off.

"Like I said, don't worry about me. I will get some sleep, you should go check on her. I will be perfectly fine here" she said and looking at his eyes, she could see how hard it was for him to decide what to do so she gave an encouraging smile, squeezing his hand again, "Go, Oliver" she said and this time he relented.

He quickly got dressed and then turned to look back at her. She was still sitting in that same position and he walked towards her.

"I will be back soon, okay? Get some rest. You need it and we _will _talk tomorrow." He said before pressing a hard kiss on her forehead.

Felicity closed her eyes and gave him a soft smile before nodding.

"We will talk. You be safe" she said like always and he nodded before leaving through the door.

A moment later she heard the main door open and close and it wasn't long before his bike came to life again as he drove back to the foundry, towards his friend, to Sara.

This time when the tears came, Felicity didn't stop them. She just fell back on the bed, her nose buried deep on the hoodie she was wearing and cried until her eyes closed off from the exhaustion from it all.

And after almost three days, Felicity Smoak just let her brain stop working and _rest_.

**A/N: _Okay! Now dont kill me ... you will have your fun :) I am just giving them some time to come in terms with what situation they have found themselves suddenly ... It will do them good in the near future for my next story ! :P_**

**_Next is, I am not sure if I will post one long chapter or two short ones for this to end but the updates will be within a week, both ! I am trying to finish writing the end before my theory exams start. Labs have been killing me already !_**

**_For the 'Guest' _****_reviewers: Thank you so much for your words, they mean the world to me !_**

**_For the rest of my reviewers: I dont think there is anyone I havent replied to, but still A Big Thank You, again !_**

**_And Jellybean1218, you are adorable :D :D I looouuvee how much we can talk about all things Olicity and Arrow :D :D Here is your update ;)_**

**_See you all soon with the next update ... Till then :)_**

**_~ Swag_**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: _So I thought about it and came to the conclusion that rather than posting a big ass chapter, I'll cut it into two short ones. This is the first half and I'm a bit nervous about what you people are going to react. Not too bad, I assure ... just a tad bit ;)_**

**_I initially planned it on posting it yesterday, but I was kinda busy, it being my birthday and all :P So after everything I was just pure tired so I slept like a baby for a the whole day today. But here I am now, and here is your next chapter._**

_**The next chapter will be up in sometime next week. My semester term end exams start from this Tuesday so I'll be quite busy with those. But I will be able to make some time to update it I guess.**_

_**Now, the reviews you have left me are crazy and I love you guys. Thank you so much for them. 50+ reviews and favorites, 100+ follows, you guys are too good to me :D Thank you, again :)**_

_**So without further ado, go ahead and read it :D**_

As soon as Oliver walked in through the doors of the foundry, down the steps, Sara crashed on him, sobbing her heart out. As hard-ass and strong as she might be, but a drunk Sara was an emotional Sara.

"I came home after 6 years, hell 7 years and all she has to say to me is how I ruined her life and how everything that ever went wrong in her life was my fault. Why cant she just be happy that I am not dead, that her _sister_ is not dead" Sara said, still in his arms and Oliver was trying his best to calm her down.

Sara wasn't exactly crying anymore, but the occasional hiccups and the sad voice was so unlike her that even he was a bit surprised.

"Sara, I'm sure she doesn't mean it. She has been through a lot and you should give her some time. Its an adjustment for her as much as it is for you." He said, now pulling Sara away from his arms so that he could look at her face.

"Why are you taking her side? Why do always have to take her side?" Sara said, now kind of exasperated.

"I am not taking her side. I am not taking anyone's side. I am just telling you that you need to give her sometime to adjust to you being alive after so long." said Oliver

"I … I just don't understand what I should do now. Dad already knew I was here, mom will be going back to Coast city in a week or so and Laurel doesn't want to see me. I just …" her shoulders sagged with all the worries and sorrow she has been tugging along.

"Hey! Its going to be okay" Oliver said, holding her shoulders and rubbing soothingly, trying to ease a bit of her pain. "We are here, this group, we will be here when you need us. And Laurel will come back, just give her some time. You don't have to understand everything right now"

"I know one thing but" Sara said looking at Oliver.

"What's that?" he asked back.

"I'm finally home" Sara said and before Oliver could say anything, Sara's lips were on his and she was kissing him with all her might. For a second, just a second, Oliver was stunned, not knowing what to do and the next he was pushing Sara away from him.

"Ollie … I" Sara started but he cut her off.

"I cant Sara … I'm so sorry. I should have told you this before. I … This isn't …" Oliver was trying to explain but not quite succeeding.

"What do you mean you cant? I thought you … I thought we had something," Sara said, looking at him confused and Oliver sighed.

"I love Felicity" he said and Sara gasped at his revelation.

"I love her and we are together. We have been for a few months now. We didn't want the press to get a whiff of it so we kept to ourselves; Dig, Thea, Roy, Lyla and … and Mom. I should have told you about us, but the last two days have been so … so tiring. Between checking up on Laurel, your mother being kidnapped, everything in QC and then you … Its all been so overwhelming and tiring, I just didn't think of telling you that … that I am in love with an incredible woman and luckily she loves me back." said Oliver, a sad smile on his face.

"Shit …" Sara didn't know what she was supposed to say but Oliver continued.

"I was actually home, with her, when you called. I haven't been home for two days now. I haven't even paid enough attention to see how withdrawn she has become, how ungrateful _I _have been the past few days. But she … she still stands by my side and helps me do what I do. She hasn't slept in two days, hasn't even eaten" Oliver lets out a humorless laugh and shakes his head as if he cant still believe that he hadn't noticed all of it on his own. "And still had been working her ass of to find your mother coz she knew how much important it was for me. Actually come to think of it, even if it wasn't important to me, she would have done the same coz she is just that, simply Felicity."

"I was trying to talk to her, to apologize for the dumbass boyfriend I've been for the past two days, getting caught up with everything and not even realizing how much I've hurt her, knowingly or unknowingly, but she wont even listen. She said she just wanted to get some sleep tonight, though I'm not sure how long she will be asleep" he said and looked at Sara's confused face.

"Neither of us sleep well without the other" he said letting out another chuckle. "She said we would talk tomorrow, I just hope she still wants to do that once she is awake. I … I cant lose her, she is the only one who has never judged me, the only one who is willing to go to lengths to bring me back. She is the only one stopping me from destroying myself when things get too heavy and I cant … I can never loose her."

"You wont" Sara said for the first time after getting to know everything. "I'm so sorry Ollie … I never meant to come between the two of you. Had I known, I would have … I am so sorry Ollie"

"Hey! Its not really your fault. If its anyone's fault, its mine. I should have spoken up before, told you about her, about _us_. I just didn't think… And that's where it came to bite me. I never think." He said and shook his head.

"You should go home Ollie, go to her. I will be fine here, nothing a couple of crunches wont fix. But your girl needs you. Go home" she said, smiling softly at her friend. She was happy he had someone who meant so much to him. And she had no doubt that Felicity loved Oliver more that anything, she would keep him safe.

"_My girl_" Oliver said softly, as if tasting the words on his lips. "My girl. You're right. I should go home. She needs me, but more than that, I need her." Oliver said, already moving towards the staircase.

"Hey Ollie …" Sara called when he was almost to the door. He turned to look back at her smiling face, "I am really happy you have her" she said and he gave her a genuine smile.

"Me too" he said and with that he was out of the door and mounted his bike, once again on his back home for the night.

It was almost past 3 when he reached home. Without making a sound Oliver entered their bedroom, half expecting to see Felicity waiting for him and the other half wanting her to be asleep.

When he saw her sleeping, he was half disappointed and half relieved that she was getting some rest after the week they have had. Especially the last 2-3 days since Sara returned.

Oliver slowly walked towards their bed debating whether or not to climb in. After a few moments of that, he thought better and got inside the covers. As if on cue, Felicity turned to face his side and moved towards him. He didn't waste a second before he pulled her to his chest. They both sighed in contentment, one still asleep and the other wide awake.

He thought back to the last few days since Sara had returned. Oliver didn't even notice when or how the distance started to come between him and Felicity and how it only grew.

He tried, but couldn't remember the last time he had kissed his girlfriend or told her that he loved her before tonight since all of this started. How he could be so stupid, he had no idea. He should have known better, especially given Felicity didn't have many people in her life outside the team and his family, more like Thea.

Taking a deep breath Oliver promised himself that from now on, he would always pay attention to her, never forget to tell her how much he loved her or show her. Whatever it may be, Felicity would always be his priority, his number one priority.

If she wanted to punish him for treating her so bad, like he would his countless tramps back in the day, he would take it happily but he would fight for her, for them. She was the only one who knew Oliver for who he really was, good and bad included and he would be damned to let her go.

_His light,_ he used to think of her as that. Even long before they came together in this relationship, she was that to him. She knew him and she was always by his side. To help him when he needed, or call him out on his bullshit when he would throw his temper tantrums, to pull him back from the edge when things got too much for him to handle. She was just there, always.

So he promised himself that he would be there for her from now on. Whatever it may be, of however importance, small or big, he would be there. He noticed that he had missed her ramblings these past few days. He had missed her smile that somehow lit up their whole foundry, their home, _his life_.

The cold basement felt like home when she was there coz she herself carried so much love and warmth in herself. Her ramblings would always be there to ground him. And her touch, god he had missed that, her touch was the anchor that kept him sane. A small touch from her and he would calm down when he had no idea how to go about when things got hard.

The company, his family, Malcolm, Moira, the Undertaking, Isabel Rochev, everything that took its toll on him, she was there to ease the pain. To remind him that he could overcome it all with her by his side. Their team.

Looking down, he saw her brows were furrowed, but she was still sleeping. A bad dream, he guessed and he didn't like it. He had not been home for the past two nights, was she having those dreams then also? Was this why she looked like dead when he had seen her in the morning coming out of the shower?

He was the worst boyfriend in the history of boyfriends, he thought. He had seen it all, but didn't think much of anything. How could he ignore all of it? The sleeplessness, those dark circles under her eyes, her skipping meals, all of it was coming to him now.

Oliver softly started running his fingers through her hair, she had always liked that. After a tiring day when they would sit together in front of the TV or here in the bed, they would curl around each other and he would run his fingers through her hair. And she would be relaxed within minutes.

He waited until he was sure that she was fine, that her nightmares were not plaguing her anymore now before he brought his hand to curl around her.

"I love you, Felicity" he whispered softly in the darkness of the night and pressed a soft kiss on top of her head before he relaxed himself and pulled her a bit more closer.

"_I love you" _he murmured again, before sleep overtook him after such a long day.

**A/N: _So the actual 'talk' between the two comes in the next chapter. I hope you are not hating Oliver and Sara. Anger I understand, but don't hate the two of them ... They are not that bad, I promise ^_^_**

**_So just leave me your words that I will be eagerly waiting for :D You know how much I love them :)_**

**_My guest reviewers ... and non-guest reviewers ... I love you guys to bits :D :* :D_**

**_Wait for the last one ... It will be up soon. Till then ..._**

**_~ Swag_**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: _So yea! I know I am late by a few days but finals have been a bitch and i wasn't sure about the chapter so THIS is the penultimate chapter, not the last one ! I know i said there is just one more left but it was like 18k+ words so i again broke it into two, bid a bit more editing work and am posting it now. There is one more and it will be up either tomorrow or day after tomorrow, given when i am free !_**

_**Another thing, I don't have a beta, so whatever I write and post, its all on me. Someone pointed out that i should consider having a beta but the thing is, having a beta means taking up responsibility that i would keep writing and posting withing a time range and I don't have that privilege. I really wanted to thank whoever she was for her critique coz I know I needed that, I just cant get a lot of writing done all the time. I am not a writer, per se, I just enjoy doing it so I am not that good at the stuff! But whoever you are my 'Guest' friend, I would really like to thank you, please don't think I took your words in a wrong way, I really am taking it in a positive way and would try to make my writing better so Thank You, again !**_

_**Next is nothing actually, here is your chapter, go read it ! Jellybean1218 has been her impatient self and asked me for an update everyday, so darling here you go ! If it weren't for your messages, this update might have come on a later date so you people should thank her ;)**_

_**Now go read the chapter, I am done as of now ^_^**_

Felicity woke the next morning when she heard her alarm go off. It was so nice in the bed, warm and … solid? Huh? She slowly opened her eyes to see she was snuggled close to Oliver. Probably as close as they could ever get. He had his arms wrapped around her tightly and she was almost trying to merge with him, if that were possible.

For a moment Felicity let herself feel the warmth that was all Oliver. She enjoyed the vice grip he had on her, how he held her like he was afraid she might disappear in the darkness of the night. May be he really was afraid of that. _Silly man!_

Things had been rough and they needed to talk but there was no way that she was giving up on them. Not until the day he had told her to. And that day wasn't today.

She hummed in contentment and tried to move bit more close to her boyfriend, though it really wasn't physically possible. She let herself enjoy a few more moments of peace before they had to _talk._

Felicity was never one to back down from a confrontation. That was not something she was afraid of. She had always faced every single problem in her life head on and had solved them, fixed them. That's what she was good at; fixing, solving. Best even.

But this time she was afraid of what the confrontation might bring forth. A storm always brings calm with it, before and after. The calm before sucked and though she knew that the peace after would be worth the storm, she was still hesitant to walk through it.

She knew the exact moment he woke up. Oliver was vigil, even in his sleep. And since he had started spending the nights with Felicity, he was always careful with his movements, especially since Felicity was a very light sleeper, she would wake with the slightest of movements. Guess that proved how tired she might have been last night that she didn't even stir when he joined her in the bed.

He knew she was awake and she knew he was awake but both were waiting for the other to break the silence first. Lastly it was Oliver who spoke first.

"Good Morning" he said softly, his voice a bit thick with sleep. Felicity always did love it in the morning, she thought to herself.

"Morning" she said softly. "I guess we can be in a bed a little longer today, today being a Saturday and all that. Do you … do you have anywhere to be today?" she asked hesitantly. Though she was relieved when it registered that Oliver had come home last night, she was still not sure about where exactly they stood.

"Nope! Nowhere to be, just you and me today and a tub of Ben n Jerry or a few! Sounds good?" he asked. As nervous as he was, Oliver was one hell of an actor for being able to keep it down.

"yeah … yeah sounds good! I … umm" she tried to move but his hold on her was so tight that it was almost impossible. Oliver caught her movements and immediately loosened his hold on her.

"I just need to go to the bathroom" she said quickly, in a way of explaining. "I'll be right back." Felicity sat on their and bed and looked down at him to find him already looking at her. She immediately looked down. She needed time to compose herself before they had to start talking. She quickly moved to get up from the bed and towards the bathroom.

Once inside, she took a deep breathe to calm her racing heart. After she was calm enough, she quickly took care of her morning rituals and then slowly walked out to where Oliver was still waiting for her, on their bed, but was now sitting with his back to the headboard.

"Hey" he said, once he saw her and held his hand out for her to take. Felicity looked at his hand and then tentatively took it before joining him on the bed.

"So do you want to have breakfast first or talk?" Oliver asked hesitantly but still to the point. They had to do it, they needed to do it and he wasn't backing down. He would tell her everything and then he would leave the decision up to her on how to move forward from this.

Felicity sighed, _it _was upon them and she made her resolve that they indeed needed to talk. So she turned to look at him and found him already looking at her.

"Lets talk" she said, a deep breath and then it started.

"I have to say something before you do but" she spoke again before Oliver could.

"Okay?" Oliver asked rather than said but he let her say what she had to.

"I wanted to apologize…" she started but Oliver cut her off in disbelief.

"Are you for even real? What do _you_ have to apologize for? That you trusted me and I broke it? That _I _hurt you? What possibly could you have to apologize for?" he was angry, not at her of course, but himself. This … This woman … She was apologizing to him when he was the one who was wrong?

"No! Oliver … just hear me out, okay? Let me finish" she said as she squeezed his hand that she was still holding. When he didn't say anything, she continued;

"I am not saying what you did was right and it didn't hurt, it really hurt" Oliver looked like he was going to say something, probably apologize but she held her hand up "Not now, just let me get through this."

"It hurt that you didn't acknowledge our relationship in front of a woman who has had feelings for you for years. You almost forgot that I wasn't just your partner in the team but that I was your girlfriend too. It hurt that it was so easy for you to forget about us, about anything actually. Did you know you didn't even touch me that whole time?

"I know you are not the affectionate type, you have never been and I'm fine with that. But I relished on those small touches and those smiles that you sent my way. After a day at QC and in the foundry, I revel, in the however small that may be, time we get together on own, just us. Its something I look forward to after the whole day of work." she sighed, not exactly sure what to say next or more precisely, how!

"But then I saw you last morning, on the couch, with Sara. She was curled towards you, your arms around her and you two looked so natural, as if you had done this a hundred times, been like this a thousand more and it felt like a punch in the gut. I know you don't love her, I know that you love _me_, but when I haven't even seen you for longer than a few hours for two days, that too Sara or Dig was always there with us, I wasn't sure where I stood anymore, in the team, in your life."

Oliver began to protest again but she shook her head; "Just let me say my part, I don't know how long I can keep up without breaking and I have to get it off my chest before I loose it."

"Anyways … lets face it, Sara is a beautiful woman, not that I think I am not, but you have always preferred strong women; Laurel, McKenna, hell even Helena. And I am not like them, I don't think I can ever be, not that I want to. I don't want to be an assassin or a huntress or a cop, I am happy with what I do. I may not love being your EA, but what we down in the foundry, I love doing it coz I know I am part of something that is making this city better.

"But I am sorry and do not interrupt me now." She said when she saw he was trying to say something. "I am sorry because when I saw you with her, I didn't come to you. I just closed in on myself. I waited for you to come to me which I shouldn't have. I shouldn't have let this feeling of when my dad left us, fill myself up again and had talked to you earlier so that it didn't hurt so bad."

"Even though I am not the insecure types, I felt this thing … I am not sure if it was insecurity or pure dread that I would lose you to someone like them, the strong types, to Sara. Just like I had lost my father, like I wasn't good enough for anyone to stay with me for long. That I would lose my part in the team when she joins in permanently, which I am sure she will.

"And don't take this in a wrong way because I like Sara, I like her a lot. I can only imagine the horror and pain she has gone through in her life. She is a good person and she really wants to change, wants to help people like you do. She can certainly keep up physically and she isn't lacking technologically either. She could easily take my place if she learns a bit more. I mean she wont be as good as me, coz come on, no one is as good as me, but she would be enough to make you feel that you might not need me anymore."

"Felicity, I will always need you" Oliver said this time, not caring that she had asked him to let her finish her part.

"May be, may be not, you never know until the time comes. And seeing how you were with her, no walls in between because she knows all parts of you, before the island, during the island…"

"But she doesn't know what or who I am now" Oliver said and took both of Felicity's hands in his before continuing. "She wont ever know what I am now until she finds it for herself. She will see that I am less damaged than before, that I am more happier and that its genuine happiness but she wont know what it feels like unless she finds someone who will be the light to her darkness, like you are mine.

"Oliver…"

"No! You said your part and now I need to say mine. I know I have been a jerk, actually worse than that, I don't even know which term to use. An asshole or an idiot, probably all of the above. But there was never a moment when I wasn't in love with you.

"I was just plain stupid if that is possible. I thought that you would be okay that I was spending more time in the foundry with Sara than I was with you. I thought it was okay to let you do your stuff while I did mine and that it was okay to leave you on your own at QC with Isabel and the others.

"I wasn't thinking, because I was only focusing on the League and what might happen to Laurel or Dinah or even Sara. The Lance's I owe them after what I did all those years ago, it's a burden I have carried since the day the gambit went down and I don't think I can ever be out of that debt." He sighed and closed his eyes. He had never said this to anyone ever, but he knew Felicity would know what he was trying to say, she would understand him.

"It wasn't your fault Oliver" Felicity said, she tried to understand where he was coming from and her heart broke for him. He had kept this guilt for so long that its almost a part of him now. But he couldn't keep doing that to himself anymore. He had to let go of that guilt, if not now then with time. But he had to.

"I wasn't trying to ignore you" he said breaking her out of her thoughts, but Felicity quickly cut him.

"I never said you were doing it intentionally Oliver. You were so focused on finding Dinah that you just didn't notice. It felt like indifference and it hurt all the same. I get where you are coming from but it felt like I wasn't important enough for you to remember that I was there, right next to you for you to look at me once."

Felicity's eyes were brimming with tears and she didn't know how much more humiliating it could get. She felt tired even though they had just woken up an hour ago.

"I am so sorry baby; I never meant to hurt you. I was so stupid, I should have paid more attention. Should have noticed how you were closing in on you, especially after you told me about your father but I was so wrapped up in my own turmoil that I didn't even think of what I might be doing to you or how hard it might have been for you to come tell me this and to keep it from Thea."

"But you have to tell Thea, Oliver. She will hate you if she got to know that you knew and didn't tell her. Just like you felt towards your mother when you got to know about Malcom from me. So tell her, tell Thea before its late. If she got to know it from you, at-least she will have you to rely on, she'll have me, Roy. She will have us. But if we don't tell her, she will go down and take a lot of us with her in that downward spiral.

"I know … I just, I don't know how to tell her. I need some time" Oliver said, the anguish in his voice was so noticeable.

"But before that, I need to tell you something. I don't know how you will react to this but know that I love you, only you."

"You're scaring me Oliver. What is it?" Felicity said, dread filling her all over again.

"When I went to the foundry last night, after Sara called?" Oliver hesitated.

"Yes? What …" Felicity trailed off though she had a pretty good idea of what he was about to say and she didn't know if she was hurt, angry or just plain devastated. She still needed him to spell the words though. "What happened Oliver?" she asked in a hollow voice and Oliver knew that she knew.

"Sara kissed me" he said softly and she gasped. Even though felicity was almost sure of what Oliver was going to tell her, she couldn't stop the sob that escaped her. She quickly snatched her hands that were tangled with his and hid her face behind them.

"Baby, please listen to me. Nothing happened." Oliver tried to say more but she was up and out of the bed the very next moment.

"I …" she gulped, "I need some time. Just … just don't come out for sometime. When I am …I am sure that I can hear you say more I will come find you, but just let me be by myself for sometimes till then."

And before he could say anything, agree or disagree, she was out of that door, from their bedroom.

**A/N: _I know! I know! Another cliffie! I am a bitch like that ;) Wait for a day ... or two ! You will get your last chapter ! I am done writing it, just need to edit it and then we come to an end of this journey called Because I Love You. The sequel will be up on June, coz I am taking a break for a week and going out with my friends for a trip once my finals are over._**

**_Leave me your reviews, you know how I Dig them (pun intended ;D) ! And thank you for the favorites and follows :D_**

**_Till then ... :)_**

**_~ Swag_**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: H_ey you Ladies and ... Ladies :P Or is there a Gentleman lurking around somewhere? Aaanyways ... There you go ! The last chapter everyone, of _this_ story atleast ! Like I said, there will be a sequel and it will of the 'Unthinkable' timeline ! But like I also said, I will be out for a few days on a trip with friends so that one wont be up until June ! So keep me on your follow if you are interested in the next fic and you will know as soon as I update it :)_**

**_Next is, there might be some of you who might not like how Felicity reacts to the whole thing. I have my reasons for what I wrote ! Some of you will like it, some of you wont but I am keeping their relationship intact ! So there it is ..._**

**_Now to my dear dear lovelies who have been reviewing since chapter one till now; Thank you is a small word for you people. Jellybean1218, sakura-blossom62, smoak999, _****_Spitfire303, _**kimmers, misspsycho64, olicity-smoak-queen, paysayshi, izzalima, laaura, No.1TwiFanpire, CLSRandom89, kittykat1984, Angeleene, AlixMM, Civiliany, hipkarma, booklover88, lks3615, Lililovingreading, phuong1317, loulounana, hannah70, cassandraann12, nrdhrd3 and my awesome guest readers: lila, CassandraBlake, emma, nellysh, megan, pia and everyone else who followed, favorited and reviewed anonymously. You guys are totally awesome and I love you all :D :D Thank you for being so nice to me and this story :)

**_Now, I will let you get to the story and find out how much of your expectations were met !_**

Felicity went to their living room and just sat on the sofa where she and Oliver had spent numerous lazy nights together, watching a movie or a TV show that according to her he _had_ to watch.

Another sob broke from her and then they kept coming until they rocked her to her core and she wasn't sure how to stop them. She wasn't even sure why she was crying. Well there was this thing of him and Sara kissing, or like he said _Sara_ had kissed him but she was sure Oliver hadn't cheated on her, he was not that man but still to hear that, she felt those insecurities creeping back up again, this time with more force and vigor.

Oliver heard from inside their bedroom as she broke apart in their living room. He wanted, god! How he wanted to go out there and soothe her, to tell her that nothing had exactly happened between him and Sara, that he put a stop to it as soon as it had started. But she had asked him to give her some time and he would give her that, however much it may hurt him, he would do whatever she asked him to do coz she hadn't atleast kicked him out of this place yet.

It wasn't until almost late afternoon that she came back to the bedroom, he didn't dare call it _their _even in his head, lest what might happen once this all was over.

"I am ready to listen" she said, her voice so small, a whisper that it was almost impossible to hear but he heard it anyway. It broke his heart to see him like this, the tear streaks down her cheeks, her eyes full of pain instead of the lightness and happiness that was Felicity. She looked even smaller than what she did last night in his hoodie, if that were possible.

But she was giving him a chance to explain and he would tell her everything before she decided if she wanted him in his life anymore or not. He might have been a bit dazed and took quite sometime coz she spoke again.

"I know you didn't cheat on me" she said, surprising him, especially given his track record in the past. As if she had read his mind, she continued, "Which is kind of ridiculous, given your track record before the gambit. But the Oliver you are now, the one I know, he wont cheat on me. He is too good a man to ever do something so low to the person he loves and I still believe that, that you love me. So I am ready, tell me what happened."

She didn't come closer to the bed; she sat in the bean bag by the window, playing with her fingers as she waited for him to speak.

Oliver, on the other hand was too stunned to know what he was to say now. Even after all that happened, she still believed in him, in his love for her and was willing to give him a chance and he would be an idiot to let that go.

"How can you be so forgiving? I mean, I am happy, beyond happy that you are willing to listen, that you are giving me a chance but somehow I fell I dont deserve any of it. Be assured, I didnt cheat on you. I wont ever do that but the way i treated you the last couple of days, knowingly, unknowingly doesn't matter, it wasn't right. I should have done better, been better. How can you be so forgiving?"

"Because ... Because I love you. And I know you love me. I never doubted that Oliver." Felicity said and Oliver thanked whoever was listening for this chance he got.

So he told her, he told her everything; from the moment he entered the lair till the moment he left to come back to her, to come home.

"Nothing happened. As soon as I understood what was happening I pulled away from her, I told her about us and what an idiot I have been this whole time. I told her that there is only one woman I love and that is you, Felicity." He said the last part softly, a bit hesitantly and waited for her to say something, anything.

"I believe you. I know I might sound naive to some people, some might even say that I am foolish in love but I know you and I know that you cant lie to me to save your life. And I know you would never do something like this to hurt me, intentionally or unintentionally."

"You have …" Whatever Oliver was about to say, Felicity interrupted.

"I am just asking for one thing, will you give it to me?" she asked and Oliver looked at her confused.

"Of course! Whatever you want. Anything!" he said.

"Just … Just give me some time, okay?" she said hesitantly and Oliver looked at her with wide eyes.

"Are … are you br…" But Felicity interrupted before he could finish the sentence.

"No! No Oliver. I am absolutely not breaking up with you" she said and he breathed in relief. "I … I just want some time to myself. Which is kind of impossible since we spend all our time together, be it the foundry or QC. But can you just …"

Felicity took a deep breath before bracing herself to what she was about to say next. It was gonna be as hard for her as it would be for him and she hated that she was asking this from him but she knew that in the long run it would be helpful for both of them.

"I will come to QC in the day and be your EA and I will come to foundry in the night and be your IT girl. But I just need some time for myself and you need some time to yourself. So starting today, you are not spending your nights here."

Felicity knew how much it hurt him to hear her say those words but they weren't any less painful for her. Hell … she couldn't even sleep without him by her side now-a-days but she had to do it, for both their sake. So with a determined mind, she told him what she wanted.

"You need to deal with Moira and Thea. Your family needs you, specially Thea. In the last few months since started our relationship and even quite some time before that, we have become so much dependent on one another that we have forgotten what it is to be ourselves. I think we need some time to be ourselves first so that we can be _us_ and not get hurt in the way."

"So what you are saying is that we need some time apart? Away from each other? Like a time-out?" Oliver asked confused, coz frankly none of it was making any sense to him.

"Yes, in a way! Though it wont be a total time out since we would be still working, we would still see each other and I wont be keeping myself away from you. You are still my boyfriend and still the man I love and I will be damned to let go of any of that. But we never really did anything the normal way. We went straight from being friends and partners to a full time relationship with lots of 'I love yous' thrown in between." She said, trying to explain.

"What do you mean normal? Felicity, you know we cant be like a normal couple and go around this city holding hands doing what 'normal' couple do. And you know that its not because I don't want to and more because I want you safe and alive and being with me will put a target in your back from all my enemies, Oliver Queen and Green Arrow alike," Oliver said, his voice having that hinge of frustration to it.

"God! Oliver, just listen to me, will you?" she stood from the bean bag and started pacing the floor in front of the bed. Rubbing her hands over her face and then turned to look back at him.

"We don't have to go out and hold hand, that's not what I meant. I know you want me safe and even I want that for myself but we can still take some time for ourselves, find a quite place and talk. About our day, about the things we like, just go on a date like normal people do.

"Dates don't have to be in a fancy restaurant or a movie theatre or anywhere special. A date is just two people, getting to know each other better. I want to tell you about things I haven't yet shared and I want to know more about you. You don't have to tell me about your island days" she assured quickly, "I don't want you to be uncomfortable but I just want to know a little bit more of the man that I am so completely in love with that I cant even begin to think about living a life without."

"We went from friends and partners to lovers in just one night. I mean, sure you were almost staying with me long before the night you told me you loved me and we know most of our little quirks and what things make us tick but there are still so many things we don't know about each other. Hell! I don't even know what your favorite comic book character is and I am a certified geek" she said rolling her eyes.

"Its Thor" he said softly, as if automatically and then shook his head and got his head back to what was the actual matter. "So basically you want us to date and not sleep together for the time being?" Oliver asked again, as he got up and came to stand next to her near the bed. Felicity took a deep breathe and let it out before answering his questions.

"Yes, for starters. I am not saying we wont have what we had before, I am just asking for more. I want to know you, all of you and I want you to do the same."

"Okay! I can do that. If this is what you want, I will do it. Just" he gulped and tried again, his throat suddenly felt dry, "Just promise me you wont leave me."

Felicity took both of his hands on her and squeezed them hard as if to assure him that she was still there with him.

"I am not leaving you Oliver, ever. Take that thought out of your head. I will be there with you for as long as you want me. Until the day you tell me otherwise, I would be right next to you. For now, you're stuck with me."

As she said those words, Oliver felt as if his whole world was okay again. He was able to breathe normal, and that beautiful woman who he loves with all his heart is still standing next to him and hadn't left his side. She still loved him as much as he loved her.

"That's a forever thing then Ms. Smoak" he said and he couldn't help the smile when he saw her face lit up with one of her own.

"I don't mind forever, it sounds quite good actually" she said and smiled softly.

Her fingers came to trace the laugh lines near his eyes and he closed his eyes at the sensation. He had missed her touch, and leaned onto her palm.

"I love you, Felicity" he said, eyes still closed and smiling. Stepping on her toes and giving him a quick peck on the lips she said the same thing to him.

"I love you too, Oliver." This time he swiftly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him, and dipped his head down and kissed her on the lips like he liked, like he knew _she_ liked.

He would go back to the manor tonight and they would try what she wanted but it still had a few more hours to begin and those few hours he wanted to be with her. Just them; not CEO and his EA or the vigilante and his IT girl, just them. Just Oliver and Felicity.

Felicity didn't pull away from the kiss either. Everything was okay again. Sure they had to work on their communication skills, see that what happened wont happen again, open up about themselves more to each other but they were back in a good place, actually in a better place than what they were before and both of them were as in love with each other as they had always been.

Things might not always be perfect with them but they were perfect for one another and there was no doubt to it and both of them knew it, they just needed to understand.

So when they finally pulled away from one another's lips, both sporting a big goofy grin on their face, Felicity's turned into a mischievous one, her eyes glinting with humor and he relaxed. Oliver let her have her fun when she asked him something from remembering what he had said just a few minutes before;

"So … did you say you liked Thor?"

**A/N: _I am ending this one here. Hopefully it wasnt too disappointing for the lot of you ! I just couldnt not keep them together. They love each other and they belong together, and I wanted to keep it that way. Coz like I said, Oliver didnt cheat on her, he was a dick, sure but the guy had his heart in the right place. He didnt lie to her, was honest and I think Felicity's decision was what it should have been !_**

**_This is the last chapter so let me know how you like it. Again a small reminder, there will be a sequel, so those who want to read it, just subscribe and you will get a mail as soon as I update._**

**_Until next time ladies ... :)_**

**_~Swag_**


End file.
